Educational and puzzle block.



110.7%,451. PATENTS!) 001?. 6, 1903.

R. W. MANSFIELD.

EDUDATIONAL AND PUZZLE BLOCKS. APPLICATION $11.21) no. so, 1902.

no MODEL.

VENTOR 41i g/ BY 4 5 f ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDUCATIONAL AND PUZZLE BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,451, dated October6, 1903.

Application filed December 30, 1902. Serial No. 137,109. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD W. MANs-f FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New London, New London county, Gonnecticnt, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Educational and PuzzleBlocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates toi nprovements in educational and puzzle blocks,and particularly to that class as set forth in Letters Patent No.717,105, granted to me December 30, 1902.

The object of my invention is to provide a block or series of blockswith illustrations or illustrative matter thereon in such an order,sequence, or arrangement that when the block or series is turned abouttheir diflerent axes in the proper order and direction a predeter minedseries of illustrations bearing some consecutive arrangement will bebrought to view. By this means blocks may be made ,to con-- veyeducational suggestions and at the same time serve as a medium ofamusement.

The invention consists in forming blocks having more than four sides andplacing on the different sides letters, numbers, words,

or other illustrative matter in such an order, beginning with what maybe termed the keyface, that when the blocks are turned in the properconsecutive order from this key-face the unitary ideas set forth thereonmay be brought to view. The blocks may be formed either solid or in theform of hollow boxes. Obviously the corners need not be pointed and thesides or edges might be indented, if desired. The form shown in thisapplication of my invention more specifically relates to illustrativematter arranged on a single block or on a single line of blocks, whereasthat form shown in my patent above referred to relates to a set ofblocks in general irrespective of the number of lines.

Figure 1 represents in perspective a series of blocks forming a'linewhich embodies-my invention, each block of which independently alsoembodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a developed view showing the relativepositions of the surface of a block or of a blank from which a block maybe formed in the shape of a hollow box. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofa block bearing the numerals arranged as in the blank of Fig. 2.

Referring to the blocks of Fig. 1, each obviously has three imaginaryaxes, all of which are at right angles to each other and correspond tothe planes of the different faces.

Similarly the series of blocks may be considered to have three imaginaryaxes corresponding to the different planes of their faces. If theleft-hand-block of Fig. 1 is revolved about a horizontal axis parallelto the front face, the letters A, B, B, E, forming the word Abbe, willbe brought consecutively to view. If the blank is now revolved about ahorizontal axis parallel to the plane of the top face through a quarterof revolution to the right andvthen through a half-revolution to theleft, the letters N, E, D will appear, constituting the abbreviated nameNed. The central block in a similar manner will be seen to bear theletters L, A, I, R and about the other axis the letters O, R, E. Theright-hand block similarly bears the letters E, D, 'N, A and at rightangles thereto T, A, N. Considering the blocks to be combined into aseries of a single line, we read on the front face A,

L, E. Turning the blocks consecutively about the horizontal axisparallel to the front face the words Bad, Bin, and Era will be broughtto view. If new each block is revolved through a quarter of a turn tothe right about a horizontal axis parallel to its top face, the word Notwill appear. By then turning the entire line over the word Ned willappear. Obviously any other series of letters might be employed or eachblock might have on each face a word, as in the patent referred to.

To use the blocks to carry out the idea of a puzzle, it is merelynecessary to turn them over onceor twice and then attempt, withoutknowing the proper key-face, to ascertain what the illustration of thekey-face is and then to ascertain the proper direction of turnsnecessary to bring out the entire series of.

letters or words or other illustrations might be substituted for thesenumerals. The principle which it is endeavored to convey by the formsshown in the drawings is equally applicable to other illustrations,those selected being for the purpose of making the idea more easilyunderstood. In the form shown in Fig. 3 each face bears four numerals,and

' all of the numerals combined on the six faces of the block are soarranged that by regular turns of the block the entire series of numbersmay be brought consecutively to View. On the front face appears thenumeral 1 near the upper edge. Each numeralas it is brought to view inthe series will be found in a similar location on its proper face. Theblock is then rotated about a horizontal axis parallel to the frontface, when the numbers 1, 2, 3,and 4 willappear. Itshould be nextrevolved about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the front face, whenthe numerals 4, 5, 6, and 7 will appear. The block is next revolvedthrough ninety degrees on an axis perpendicular to the new top face,bringing the numeral 8 at the top edge. The block is then revolved aboutan axis parallelto this face and the numerals 9, 10, and 1lappear. Ifitis now revolved about an axis perpendicular to the front face, thenumerals 12, 13, and 14: will appear. The block should then be revolvedabout a horizontal axis parallel to that face, revealing in turn thenumerals 15 and 16. The block should then be turned through ninetydegrees about an axis perpendicular to the face bearing the numeral l6to bring the numeral 17 at the top. It should then be revolved through ahorizontal axis parallel to the same face and the numerals 18 and 19will appear. By turning the block about an axis perpendicular to itsface the numeral 20 will be brought to the top edge. about a horizontalaxis parallel to this face the numeral 21 will be brought to view. Theblock should then be turned aboutan axis perpendicular to the latterplane through ninety degrees, when the numeral 22 will appear. Then byturning the block about a horizontal axis parallel to the same'plane thenumerals 23 and 24 may be brought consecutively to view, thusrevealingthe entire series of numerals. Obviouslyaseries of words orletters constituting a sentence or sentences might be substituted'forthe numerals and brought to view bya proper series of turnsfor instance,substituting for the numerals in order the words as follows: By thisblock you will see that interest and instruction may be provided forboth young and old at one and the same time. A series of names mightThen by turning the blockalso be arranged in place of the numerals suchthat the initial letters would spell out a series of several names orwordsas, for instance, substitute for the numerals names of the placesin order, as follows: Troy, Hartford, Erie, Uganda, Norwich, Ithaca,Toronto, Edam, Detroit, Sardis, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Edinburgh,Spain, Ohio, Florida, America, Mexico, Egypt, Russia, India, China,Abyssinia, the initials of which spell The United States of America.When a series of blocks involving the single block form of myinventionhave been planned with that end in view, they may all be used togetherinthe single-line form. Obviously the same is true where a set of blocksis used having a plurality of lines, except that the problem is morecomplicated.

What I claim is 1. A plurality of blocks adapted to be arranged in asingle line and bearing illustrations such that when the blocks arearranged in the proper order starting with a given keyface they may berotated about an axis parallel to the key-face and individually aboutaxes at right angles thereto to bring to view a predetermined series inorder.

2. A set of cubiform blocks adapted to' be arranged in a line, eachblock bearing illustrations such that in combination with theillustrations on the other blocks when they have been arranged in apredetermined manner a series of illustrations may be brought to view byturning the blocks about an axis parallel to a given key-face, byturning each block about an axis at an angle to the first axis and byturning over the entire series of blocks.

A block, a plurality of illustrations on each of more than four sides soarranged relatively to each other that a predetermined series may bebrought to view by turning the block in order about axes at diflerentangles to each other.

4. A cubiform block, illustrations near the edges of each of more thanfour faces so arranged relatively to one another that starting with agiven key-face a predetermined series may be brought to View by turningthe block about axes at different angles to each other in the properorder. a

5. A cubiform body, a plurality of illustrations on each of six faces soarranged that by turning the body in the proper order about axes atright angles to each other the predetermined series will be brought toview.

Signed at New London, Connecticut, this 22d day of December, 1902.

RICHARD W. MANSFIELD.

Witnesses:

l GRACE E. HARTSHORN,

SIDNEY H. MINER.

